Framingham University Alumni Magazine Winter 2010

class notes
olga jackson ’09
Displaying Fashion
for the World
by margaret storch
It would be a dream job for many new
graduates: working in New York City at a
mecca of international fashion for young
people. Olga Jackson ’09, the outstanding
fashion design and retailing student for 2009,
is a visual lead at American Eagle Outfitters
(AE) on 34th Street, the flagship store of a
company that is well known internationally
as the place to find stylish American clothing
and accessories for the young. “It has
a big tourist following,” she says. “People
come from abroad to buy.” AE “offers trendy
clothing, accessories and personal care
products at affordable prices” and targets
young adults “who live life to the fullest.”
Who better to understand and appeal to
that denim-seeking clientele than a talented
young woman from Cork, Ireland? “Olga’s
international interests are apparent in her
fabric and design choices,” says her former
professor Dr. Judith Zaccagnini Flynn
’69. Jackson’s flair for style, as well as her
education in fashion design and retailing at
Framingham State, led her to her soughtafter
position in visual marketing at AE,
where she works with store managers “to
plan and execute floorsets according to
company standards. Ensuring that the store
is easy to shop and visually pleasing is an
ongoing responsibility of mine,” she says.
She says her Fashion Promotion class with
Dr. Matthew McGrath “provided me with
information about visual merchandising that
I was able to bring from the classroom into
the workplace.” And, she adds, “My internship,
supervised by Dr. Irene Forster [’87,
’88], at the Reebok World Headquarters [in
Canton, Mass.] gave me the basic principles
and the experience that I needed to move to
the next step in my career.”
Jackson’s Framingham State experiences will
serve her well as she pursues her self-stated
goals of “becoming involved in research,
brand extension and mentoring.” She credits
working and interacting with her professors
as how she “acquired leadership and
communication skills.” As an assistant in
the president’s office for several years she
developed professionalism and good judgment.
She also says that serving as student
representative on a faculty search committee
“gave me the opportunity to share my
ideas, take responsibility for them, and to
see the final result.”
Jackson works at the heart of a dynamic
company. Her eye-catching merchandise
displays help drive AE’s growth and she participates
in the company’s visible expansion:
“I get to travel to new stores and execute
the floorsets in preparation for a successful
store opening.” She will play her part in the
launch of the new flagship Times Square
store in January 2010. Jackson has grasped
the young fashion dream and is running
with it.
’72
Maryanne Frangules is the former director
of the Massachusetts Organization for
Addiction Recovery (MOAR), a group that educates
the public about the value of recovery from addiction.
Pauline Gauthier retired in July 2008 after teaching
math for 36 years at Millbury High School.
Ruth Turner recently retired from her elementary
school position in Waltham, Mass.
Dennis Nasuti and his wife, Linda ’71, welcomed
a new grandchild in January 2008.
Beverly (Bridges) Trainor is a reading special-
ist at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School in
Shelburne Falls, Mass. Beverly and her husband,
Bryan, live in Sunderland, Mass.
’73
Margaret Crock was a member of the
building committee that oversaw the
construction of a new senior center in Holland,
Mass. She now serves as the director of the center.
Jean M. Sinko is a Head Start teacher with Lee
County Schools in Fort Meyers, Fla.
Nancy Dzienlenski has retired after 33 and one-half
years of teaching in Springfield, Mass.
’74
Diane Donovick has been living in
Australia since graduation. She began
teaching infants (K–2), but also taught primary
students (3–6) and is qualified as an ESL teacher.
Diane is presently working in a school of 630
students as a deputy principal. Ninety-eight percent
of the school’s students have language backgrounds
other than English. A large number are refugees
from Afghanistan and Africa, and there are also
students from China, Turkey and Lebanon.
’75
Ann (DelGreco) King, the director of
marketing at RSA Security Division of
EMC, is celebrating 30 years in high tech. She lives
in New Seabury on Cape Cod.
Peter H. Bray completed his EdD at Bowie State
University in Maryland in December 2007.
3
Donna Maxwell is still enjoying teaching
’76 visual arts at the Potter Road School in
Framingham, Mass., where she has taught for eight
years. Her oldest son is a student at Massachusetts
College of Art and Design, and her younger son is
at Framingham High School.
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winter 2010 framingham state college
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’77
Sue-Ellen Szymanski received her MLS
from Simmons College in 1980. She is the
supervisor of youth services at Milford Town Library
and the volunteer coordinator. Sue-Ellen chairs the
MLS/YSS youth services section. Her two grandsons
and her granddaughter are also keeping her busy.
Ann (Anderson) Showstead and her husband, Craig,
celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. Ann is a
third-grade teacher in the Boston Public Schools.
Dorothy Trapp is a proud grandmother of eight
beautiful children.
’78
James White has been promoted to the
position of director of public health in the
town of Natick, Mass.
’79
Michelle P. Gallant has accepted a position
as a clinical dietitian at Harvard University’s
Health Services, where she works with her classmate
Barbara Boothby.
Patricia (Brown) McGregor participated in the
annual challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in
just 30 days during National Novel Writing Month,
November 2008.
’82
Julie (Siler) Olander is giving painting
and drawing classes at the Shell Museum
on Sanibel Island, Fla. She teaches students how
to draw shells as well as how these shells live and
survive in our oceans.
Dorothy LaBonte celebrated her 83rd birthday and
is still able to get around. She continues to meet with
her artist friends and keeps on painting.
Mary Louise Charette, also known as Lou, was
recently promoted to the position of principal of
Cashman Elementary School in Amesbury, Mass.
’83
Nancy Romano is working at the VA
Medical Center in White River Junction,
Vt., as chief of nutrition and food service. She
lives in New Hampshire and enjoys spending time
with her three grandsons.
Elaine Bowen is the mom of fraternal twin sons,
Evan and Grant.
’84
Gail Howell has been teaching in
the Norwood Public Schools for years.
After two years of teaching Title 1 reading in the
third grade and five years in the fifth grade, she is
now teaching back in the third grade. She not only
returned to the town in which she grew up, she also
just purchased her childhood home from her parents.
“I guess some of us have to take the long road to end
up right back where we started,” says Gail.
Kathleen Reilly is returning to state government
work as the director of contracts and procurement at
the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and
Recreation. She and her husband, Shawn, have two
daughters, Jill and Marie.
’85
Mary (Beaudoin) Alexandre is the
development director of Boys Town New
England. She lives in Bristol, R.I., with her husband,
Tom, and their four daughters, who range in age
from 7 to 16.
Kathleen Lennon is coauthor of Understanding
Creativity: The Interplay of Biological, Psychological,
and Social Factors, published by Jossey-Bass in
1998. She taught at Boston College for years until
2001, when it became necessary for her to care full
time for her husband, who has disabilities. Kathleen
sings with Coastline Show Chorus, a competitive a
cappella chorus based in Providence, R.I.
Kelley Jenkins recently bought the popular bridal
store Confetti and Lace in Littleton, Mass. She had
worked there for 10 years and decided to purchase
it when the owner retired.
’87
Katherine (Bielawa) Stamper is living in
Vermont, where she works as a develop-
ment professional and a freelance writer.
’90
in July 2009.
’91
Peter Salenius was appointed to the
Alumni Association Board of Directors
Susan (Wescott) Alessandri moved
back to the Boston area and has joined
the faculty of Suffolk University. She spent the last
six years in upstate New York teaching at Syracuse
University. Susan was appointed to the Alumni
Association Board in July 2008.
Matt Varrell started the Cycle for Haylee bicycle
fundraiser for cystic fibrosis 11 years ago after his
niece, Haylee Reed, was diagnosed with the condition.
Of Special Note...
roger gentilhomme ’72:
a phenomenon at 100
This is a milestone year for
Roger Gentilhomme ’72, who
turned 100 in the spring
and was featured in the
national media for his ath-
letic triumphs in regional and
national senior competition
over three decades. Roger is recognized
as the world’s oldest tennis champion.
Roger spent his career as a textile engineer
at the Natick Soldier Systems Center. “With
a top educational facility, Framingham State
College, close by, I decided to go for my degree
[in textiles],” he says, “attending nights and some
summer classes.” Gentilhomme completed his
degree and then began playing tennis a few years
later in 1975.
The same stamina and perseverance in his career
and studies carried over into his athletic career.
At the national senior games in San Francisco in
August he was feted as a VIP, and in September
he went on to take part in the first-ever European
Senior Games, held in the Netherlands. A media
phenomenon, he was celebrated at the games
as the oldest athlete among the 1,300 from 33
nations around the world.
Alumni Writers Wanted
The college is interested having alumni writers
contribute stories for college publications. If you
have experience writing and would like to be
considered for writing assignments on college-
related topics and news, please submit a letter of
interest and three writing samples to Maria Quiray,
Director of Alumni Relations, 100 State Street, PO
Box 9101, Framingham, MA 01701-9101 or e-mail
publications@framingham.edu.